Bill Musselman
Encyclopedia
William Clifford Musselman (August 13, 1940 – May 5, 2000) was an American basketball coach in the NCAA
, the ABA
, the WBA, the CBA, and the NBA. He was a fiercely intense coach who once was quoted as saying "defeat is worse than death, because you have to live with defeat."
. When he graduated in 1958, he was the school's second all-time leading scorer. After high school, he attended Wittenberg College (now Wittenberg University
) in Springfield, Ohio, where he played basketball for Ray Mears
, who would later coach the University of Tennessee
.
. In Musselman's first season of coaching, the KSUHS Statesmen finished 14-5 and earned a share of the conference title.
in Ashland, Ohio
. In August 1965, Ashland's head basketball coach left for another coaching position. With only a few months before the start of the 1965-66 season, Musselman was promoted to head coach. In his first season, at the age of 25, he guided the Eagles to a 10-10 record. Over the next five seasons, Musselman's Ashland teams went 21-3, 24-6, 26-4, 23-4, and 25-3 (total: 109-20, with a .845 winning percentage).
While at Ashland, Musselman's teams reached the NCAA Tournament four times and had 13 All-America players. His 1968-69 Ashland team allowed an NCAA-record-low 33.9 points per game.
In 1971-72, he led the Gophers to an 18-7 record and their first Big Ten Championship in 53 years with a roster featuring Dave Winfield
, Jim Brewer, Bobby Nix, Keith Young, Clyde Turner, Corky Taylor, and Ron Behagen
. The Gophers lost to Florida State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, 70-56, before rebounding in the Midwest Region Consolation Round, downing Marquette
, 77-72.
The following season (1972–73), Musselman guided the Gophers to a 21-5 mark. Minnesota began the season ranked fourth in the nation and ranked as high as No. 3 in the country in March 1973. In the 1973 NIT postseason tournament, Musselman's Minnesota team downed Rutgers, 68-59, in the first round before losing to Alabama, 69-65, in the quarterfinals.
During the 1973-74 campaign, without Brewer, Behagen, or Turner, the Gophers dropped to 12-12 under Musselman. His starting lineup that season featured Flip Saunders
, who would go on to have a successful NBA coaching career.
In his fourth and final season at Minnesota, Musselman's team went 18-8 and included a roster of future NBA players Mychal Thompson, Mark Landsberger
, and Mark Olberding
. His overall coaching record at Minnesota is 61-32 with a .656 winning percentage.
Musselman's tenure at Minnesota was tainted after an incident during the 1971-72 season when Taylor and Behagen assaulted Ohio State University
center Luke Witte
. The attack on Witte came near the end of the Gophers-Buckeyes game. Witte was seriously injured, taken off the court on a stretcher and hospitalized with injuries, including to an eye, that negatively impacted his basketball career. Two other Ohio State players were also hospitalized as a result of the brawl.
Musselman maintained that he had nothing to do with the incident. Still, critics claimed he had stirred his players into a frenzy before the game that night and encouraged overly aggressive play. A September 1, 1985, article in the New York Times described the Musselman's Gophers as "an extremely physical basketball team."
During Musselman's time at the University of Minnesota, home attendance increased from 4,000 per game to nearly 18,000 per game, according to the New York Times.
After Musselman left to coach in the American Basketball Association
(ABA), the NCAA placed the Gophers on probation after discovering more than 100 rule violations.
of the American Basketball Association
. The team only lasted for 11 games of the 1975-76 season before folding with a 3-8 record.
According to the book Obsession, by Bill Heller, Musselman signed a three-year contract worth more than $135,000, considerably more than the $23,000 salary he had received at the University of Minnesota.
. Musselman took over for player-coach Mack Calvin
, who had gone 0-6 since taking over for Al Bianchi
. During one game, Musselman played his starters the entire 48 minutes, according to the New York Times.
Musselman went 4-22 with the Squires before he was replaced by Jack Ankerson
on January 21, 1976. Ankerson, who would go on to serve as general manager of the San Antonio Spurs
, went 1-1 as coach of the Squires before being replaced by Zelmo Beaty
, who compiled a 9-33 record. The Squires went 15-68 on the season and disbanded on May 10, 1976.
In the book Obsession, by Bill Heller, Musselman said, "I found the players [in Virginia] were talking more about the [team's] financial troubles than basketball. They worried more about the next payroll than they did about the next practice. It was difficult for them to concentrate on basketball."
in 1978-79, leading the club to a 28-20 record and the only WBA title game. Led by Randy Ayers
and Gus Bailey, Reno lost to Herb Brown
's Tucson Gunners, four games to three, in the 1979 championship. The league folded soon after.
, then owner of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers
, hired Musselman for his first NBA head coaching job in 1980
. Musselman guided the team to a 25-46 mark before he was replaced by general manager Don Delaney
, who went 3-8 to close out the 1980-81 season
.
On March 8, 1982, Stepien fired Chuck Daly
, who was 9-32 as coach of the Cavs, and replaced him on an interim basis with Musselman, then the team's director of player personnel. The Cavs went 2-21 under Musselman, who finished the season as head coach, his second stint at the helm. Musselman resigned on October 21, 1982, just a few days before the start of the 1982-83 NBA season
.
In an April 17, 1994 New York Times article, former NBA center Cedric Maxwell
said the Cavs' veteran players during that time "were known more for partying than for playing."
(CBA). Just 19 games into the season, sporting a 6-13 record, Musselman was fired. The team fared no better after Musselman's firing, finishing the season with a 16-28 record.
As an expansion team, his 1984-85 Thrillers team rolled to a 45-18 record to win the CBA title, downing the Detroit Spirits in seven games. Tampa Bay repeated as CBA champions the following season going 46-19 and defeating the LaCrosse (Wisc.) Catbirds in five games, 4-1.
The "three-peat" followed in 1986-87 in Rapid City, South Dakota
, where the team had moved at the conclusion of the regular season. The Thrillers, who went 46-16 overall, lost the first game of the finals to the Rockford (Ill.) Lightning, before winning four consecutive games as Musselman won his third consecutive CBA championship. For his efforts, Musselman was honored as CBA Coach of the Year.
Among the players starring for Musselman's Thriller teams were Sidney Lowe, Clinton Wheeler, Rod Higgins, Freeman Williams, Sam Mitchell
, Ed Nealy, Steve Hayes, Brian Martin, Eddie Johnson, Don Collins, Ron Valentine, Perry Moss, Kevin Williams, and Charles Jones.
, Michael Ray Richardson, Scott Roth, Reid Gettys, Tod Murphy, Eric Fernsten, Derrick Rowland, Scott Brooks, and Lowes Moore.
Musselman was named CBA Coach of the Year for the second time following the 1987-88 season.
. With a roster "full of vagabonds, long shots and characters," according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Musselman's T-wolves posted a 22-60 record in 1989-90, their first season, and 29-53 the following season. Musselman was fired on April 22, 1991, a day after the 1990-91 season ended. But the 29 wins under Musselman were a high-water mark for the T-wolves, who failed to top 29 wins until 1996-97.
Musselman's expansion team won more games than any of the four expansion teams and more in his second season (29) than any expansion team since the 1974-75 New Orleans Jazz.
In a March 29, 2007, Minneapolis Star-Tribune article by Steve Aschburner, Pooh Richardson
, a member of the expansion Timberwolves, said: "We were the best expansion team out there. That was as good as going to the playoffs. That's one thing that Musselman always gave us: a chance to win. Pass the ball, pass the ball, cut down the shots for the other team."
The team folded following the season.
. In two seasons, he led the Jaguars to the 1997 NCAA tournament after turning the program around from a 9-18 record. Musselman's 1997 South Alabama team went 23-7 and nearly upset eventual champion University of Arizona
in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. Musselman resigned as coach of the Jags on October 7, 1997, to return to the NBA. The team, Musselman recruited who remained at South Alabama the year after his departure, also advanced to the NCAA Tournament first round and lost to Illinois under then-head coach Bob Weltlich.
, under Mike Dunleavy Sr. This marked the first time in his career that he served as an assistant coach. Musselman served as an assistant for three seasons with the Blazers before his death in May 2000.
NBA coach Flip Saunders was quoted in the St. Paul Pioneer Press the day after Musselman died. Of Musselman, Saunders said, "In anything he did, he had great passion."
"We were involved in a tight game at Tampa Bay. Late in the fourth quarter, one of the refs called three charging fouls on my best player, Cedric Henderson, and the Thrillers eventually won on a buzzer-beating shot by the late "Fast" Eddie Jordan. Instead of celebrating his victory, Bill followed the refs off the court to their locker room, screaming that they had "screwed Charley out of the win." He continued to kick and pound his fists on the closed locker room door, raging for another 10 minutes. "If I can't win a game fairly, then I'd rather lose."
In an Associated Press story that day after Musselman died, Greg Anthony, a guard for the Portland Trail Blazers, described Musselman as "a great, great man."
In a May 8, 2000, letter to the editor of The Minnesota Daily, the newspaper of the University of Minnesota, Dr. R. Galen Hanson wrote, "By far -- far and away -- the memories I will always have of coach Bill Musselman is that he is one of the most unforgettable people I have ever met: winner, writer, teacher, coach. Always."
(Minnesota Timberwolves
), Tyrone Corbin
(Utah Jazz
), Tom Thibodeau
(Chicago Bulls
), Scott Brooks
(Oklahoma City Thunder
), Sam Mitchell
(Toronto Raptors
), and his son Eric Musselman
(Sacramento Kings
and Golden State Warriors
).
Other coaches who played for Musselman include Flip Saunders
, Scott Roth
, Michael Ray Richardson, and Tod Murphy
(Gordon College)
. Musselman, who had served as head coach during the game after Mike Dunleavy
was ejected, collapsed after leaving the arena.
In April 2000, he was diagnosed with primary systemic amyloidosis
, a disease that produces an abnormal protein that collects in tissues and interferes with the function of organs. He died on May 5, 2000, at 2:45 a.m., at the age of 59, at the Mayo Clinic
in Rochester, Minnesota
. The cause of death was heart and kidney failure.
The Trail Blazers used Musselman as an inspiration for their 2000 playoff run, which ended in the Western Conference finals against the Los Angeles Lakers
. In the team's 2000-01 media guide, which was dedicated to Musselman, he was described as "a keen strategist and an inspiring motivator."
, is the former head coach of the Golden State Warriors
and Sacramento Kings
. They are the first father and son to hold the title of NBA head coach.
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
, the ABA
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
, the WBA, the CBA, and the NBA. He was a fiercely intense coach who once was quoted as saying "defeat is worse than death, because you have to live with defeat."
Early life
Musselman was the second of five children. His father was an auto mechanic. The young Musselman played basketball, football, and baseball at Wooster High School in Wooster, OhioWooster, Ohio
Wooster is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Wayne County. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio approximately SSW of Cleveland and SW of Akron. Wooster is noted as the location of The College of Wooster...
. When he graduated in 1958, he was the school's second all-time leading scorer. After high school, he attended Wittenberg College (now Wittenberg University
Wittenberg University
Wittenberg University is a private four-year liberal arts college in Springfield, Ohio serving 2,000 full-time students representing 37 states and approximately 30 foreign countries...
) in Springfield, Ohio, where he played basketball for Ray Mears
Ray Mears (coach)
Ray Mears was a former collegiate basketball coach at Wittenberg University and the University of Tennessee . His career record of 399-135 still ranks among the top 15 all-time NCAA coaching records for those with a minimum of 10 seasons...
, who would later coach the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
.
Kent State University High School
In 1963, at the age of 23, Musselman was hired as the head men's basketball coach at Kent State University High School in Kent, OhioKent, Ohio
Kent is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the largest city in Portage County. It is located along the Cuyahoga River in Northeastern Ohio on the western edge of the county. The population was 27,906 at the 2000 United States Census and 28,904 in the 2010 Census...
. In Musselman's first season of coaching, the KSUHS Statesmen finished 14-5 and earned a share of the conference title.
Ashland University (NCAA)
In 1964, after one season of coaching high school basketball, Musselman was hired to assist with the football and basketball teams at Ashland UniversityAshland University
Ashland University is a mid-sized, private, non-profit university that is located in Ashland, Ohio.The University offers 73 undergraduate majors and nine pre-professional programs. The majors include toxicology/environmental science and entrepreneurship, which are unusual for an institution of its...
in Ashland, Ohio
Ashland, Ohio
Ashland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Ashland County. The population was 21,249 at the 2000 census. It is the center of the Ashland Micropolitan Statistical Area...
. In August 1965, Ashland's head basketball coach left for another coaching position. With only a few months before the start of the 1965-66 season, Musselman was promoted to head coach. In his first season, at the age of 25, he guided the Eagles to a 10-10 record. Over the next five seasons, Musselman's Ashland teams went 21-3, 24-6, 26-4, 23-4, and 25-3 (total: 109-20, with a .845 winning percentage).
While at Ashland, Musselman's teams reached the NCAA Tournament four times and had 13 All-America players. His 1968-69 Ashland team allowed an NCAA-record-low 33.9 points per game.
University of Minnesota (NCAA)
Following the 1970-71 season, Musselman left Ashland for the University of Minnesota.In 1971-72, he led the Gophers to an 18-7 record and their first Big Ten Championship in 53 years with a roster featuring Dave Winfield
Dave Winfield
David Mark Winfield is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is currently Executive Vice President/Senior Advisor of the San Diego Padres and an analyst for the ESPN program Baseball Tonight...
, Jim Brewer, Bobby Nix, Keith Young, Clyde Turner, Corky Taylor, and Ron Behagen
Ron Behagen
Ronald Michael Behagen is a retired American basketball player.A 6'9" center from DeWitt Clinton High School in New York City, Behagen played basketball in junior college and at the University of Minnesota during the early 1970s. One of his teammates was future Baseball Hall-of-Famer Dave Winfield...
. The Gophers lost to Florida State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, 70-56, before rebounding in the Midwest Region Consolation Round, downing Marquette
Marquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
, 77-72.
The following season (1972–73), Musselman guided the Gophers to a 21-5 mark. Minnesota began the season ranked fourth in the nation and ranked as high as No. 3 in the country in March 1973. In the 1973 NIT postseason tournament, Musselman's Minnesota team downed Rutgers, 68-59, in the first round before losing to Alabama, 69-65, in the quarterfinals.
During the 1973-74 campaign, without Brewer, Behagen, or Turner, the Gophers dropped to 12-12 under Musselman. His starting lineup that season featured Flip Saunders
Flip Saunders
Phillip "Flip" Saunders is an American basketball head coach of the Washington Wizards. He previously coached the Detroit Pistons and the Minnesota Timberwolves.-High school and college player:Saunders was born in Cincinnati, Ohio....
, who would go on to have a successful NBA coaching career.
In his fourth and final season at Minnesota, Musselman's team went 18-8 and included a roster of future NBA players Mychal Thompson, Mark Landsberger
Mark Landsberger
Mark Walter Landsberger is a retired American professional basketball player. At 6'8" and 225 pounds, he played as a power forward and center.-Career:...
, and Mark Olberding
Mark Olberding
Mark Allen Olberding is an American former professional basketball player.A 6'8" forward from the University of Minnesota, Olberding played 12 seasons in the American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association as a member of the San Diego Sails , San Antonio Spurs , Chicago Bulls ,...
. His overall coaching record at Minnesota is 61-32 with a .656 winning percentage.
Musselman's tenure at Minnesota was tainted after an incident during the 1971-72 season when Taylor and Behagen assaulted Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
center Luke Witte
Luke Witte
Luke Witte was a U.S. college and professional basketball player who is now a church minister. He played at the collegiate level for Ohio State University and professionally for the Cleveland Cavaliers...
. The attack on Witte came near the end of the Gophers-Buckeyes game. Witte was seriously injured, taken off the court on a stretcher and hospitalized with injuries, including to an eye, that negatively impacted his basketball career. Two other Ohio State players were also hospitalized as a result of the brawl.
Musselman maintained that he had nothing to do with the incident. Still, critics claimed he had stirred his players into a frenzy before the game that night and encouraged overly aggressive play. A September 1, 1985, article in the New York Times described the Musselman's Gophers as "an extremely physical basketball team."
During Musselman's time at the University of Minnesota, home attendance increased from 4,000 per game to nearly 18,000 per game, according to the New York Times.
After Musselman left to coach in the American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
(ABA), the NCAA placed the Gophers on probation after discovering more than 100 rule violations.
San Diego Sails (ABA)
On July 28, 1975, Musselman left the college ranks to join the pro game when he was hired to coach the San Diego SailsSan Diego Sails
The San Diego Sails were an American Basketball Association team based in San Diego, California; the team played an incomplete season only, beginning the 1975-1976 ABA season but folding before its completion.-San Diego Conquistadors:...
of the American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
. The team only lasted for 11 games of the 1975-76 season before folding with a 3-8 record.
According to the book Obsession, by Bill Heller, Musselman signed a three-year contract worth more than $135,000, considerably more than the $23,000 salary he had received at the University of Minnesota.
Virginia Squires (ABA)
A week after the ABA's San Diego franchise folded on November 11, 1975, Musselman was hired to coach the league's Virginia SquiresVirginia Squires
The Virginia Squires were a basketball franchise in the former American Basketball Association from 1970 until just before the ABA-NBA merger in 1976.-In Oakland :...
. Musselman took over for player-coach Mack Calvin
Mack Calvin
Mack Calvin is an American former basketball player.-College career:A 6'0" point guard from Long Beach City College and the University of Southern California, Calvin was a 14th-round draft pick of the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers in 1969.In his final college season, Calvin and his Trojans defeated the...
, who had gone 0-6 since taking over for Al Bianchi
Al Bianchi
Alfred A. “Al” Bianchi was born on March 26, 1932 in Long Island City, New York. He was an NBA professional basketball player, coach and general manager as well as consultant and NBA scout....
. During one game, Musselman played his starters the entire 48 minutes, according to the New York Times.
Musselman went 4-22 with the Squires before he was replaced by Jack Ankerson
Jack Ankerson
A native of Neenah, Wisconsin, Jack Ankerson attended Ripon College where he played football, tennis, and basketball, earning all-conference honors in 1963 and 1964 and ranked as one of the small school’s all-time leading scorers....
on January 21, 1976. Ankerson, who would go on to serve as general manager of the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
, went 1-1 as coach of the Squires before being replaced by Zelmo Beaty
Zelmo Beaty
Zelmo "Big Z" Beaty is a former American basketball player.A 6'9" center from Prairie View A&M, Beaty was selected with the third pick of the 1962 National Basketball Association Draft by the St. Louis Hawks. Beaty was named to the inaugural NBA All-Rookie Team in 1963, and played a total of...
, who compiled a 9-33 record. The Squires went 15-68 on the season and disbanded on May 10, 1976.
In the book Obsession, by Bill Heller, Musselman said, "I found the players [in Virginia] were talking more about the [team's] financial troubles than basketball. They worried more about the next payroll than they did about the next practice. It was difficult for them to concentrate on basketball."
Reno (Nevada) Bighorns (WBA)
Musselman coached the Reno Bighorns of the Western Basketball AssociationWestern Basketball Association
The Western Basketball Association was formed in 1978 and played for one season during 1978-79. Organized by Larry Cregar, a former assistant coach in the National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association , and real estate developer Neil Christianson.The seven-team league...
in 1978-79, leading the club to a 28-20 record and the only WBA title game. Led by Randy Ayers
Randy Ayers
Randall Duane Ayers is a retired American college basketball player and former assistant coach of the Washington Wizards. His youngest brother, Tim Ayers, served as Mayor and City Commissioner of Springfield, Ohio from 1984–1990.Ayers was born in Springfield, Ohio, the fourth child of Frank Ayers...
and Gus Bailey, Reno lost to Herb Brown
Herb Brown
Herb Brown is an American basketball coach. He is the former head coach of the Detroit Pistons . Brown was named head coach of the NBA's Detroit Pistons during the 1975-76 NBA season, replacing Ray Scott, who'd gone 17-25...
's Tucson Gunners, four games to three, in the 1979 championship. The league folded soon after.
Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA)
Ted StepienTed Stepien
Ted Stepien was the former owner of the National Basketball Association's Cleveland Cavaliers. After becoming wealthy as the founder of Nationwide Advertising Service, Stepien purchased the Cavaliers in the spring of 1980...
, then owner of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
, hired Musselman for his first NBA head coaching job in 1980
1980-81 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Julius Erving, Philadelphia 76ers*Rookie of the Year: Darrell Griffith, Utah Jazz*Coach of the Year: Jack McKinney, Indiana Pacers*All-NBA First Team:**Larry Bird, Boston Celtics...
. Musselman guided the team to a 25-46 mark before he was replaced by general manager Don Delaney
Don Delaney
Don Delaney was an American professional basketball coach, who served as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the early 1980s. Delaney also served as the team's general manager. Former Cavaliers owner Ted Stepien signed Delaney to a one-year contract to be the team's head coach in March 1981...
, who went 3-8 to close out the 1980-81 season
1980-81 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Julius Erving, Philadelphia 76ers*Rookie of the Year: Darrell Griffith, Utah Jazz*Coach of the Year: Jack McKinney, Indiana Pacers*All-NBA First Team:**Larry Bird, Boston Celtics...
.
On March 8, 1982, Stepien fired Chuck Daly
Chuck Daly
Charles Jerome "Chuck" Daly was an American basketball head coach. He led the Detroit Pistons to consecutive National Basketball Association Championships in 1989 and 1990, and the Dream Team to the men's basketball gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics. He had a 14-year NBA coaching...
, who was 9-32 as coach of the Cavs, and replaced him on an interim basis with Musselman, then the team's director of player personnel. The Cavs went 2-21 under Musselman, who finished the season as head coach, his second stint at the helm. Musselman resigned on October 21, 1982, just a few days before the start of the 1982-83 NBA season
1982-83 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Moses Malone, Philadelphia 76ers*Rookie of the Year: Terry Cummings, San Diego Clippers*Defensive Player of the Year: Sidney Moncrief, Milwaukee Bucks...
.
In an April 17, 1994 New York Times article, former NBA center Cedric Maxwell
Cedric Maxwell
Cedric Bryan Maxwell is a retired American professional basketball player now in radio broadcasting. Nicknamed "Cornbread", he played 11 seasons in the NBA, and played a key role in two championships with the Boston Celtics.-College career:Maxwell was a star forward/center for the Charlotte 49ers...
said the Cavs' veteran players during that time "were known more for partying than for playing."
Sarasota (Fla.) Stingers (CBA)
Musselman's foray into minor league basketball began in 1983 when he was hired to coach the Sarasota (Fla.) Stingers of the Continental Basketball AssociationContinental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...
(CBA). Just 19 games into the season, sporting a 6-13 record, Musselman was fired. The team fared no better after Musselman's firing, finishing the season with a 16-28 record.
Tampa Bay/Rapid City Thrillers (CBA)
The following season, Musselman moved a few miles up the Florida Gulf Coast to Tampa where he was hired to coach the expansion Tampa Bay Thrillers of the CBA. There, over the next three seasons, Musselman would build one of the winningest franchises in sports history.As an expansion team, his 1984-85 Thrillers team rolled to a 45-18 record to win the CBA title, downing the Detroit Spirits in seven games. Tampa Bay repeated as CBA champions the following season going 46-19 and defeating the LaCrosse (Wisc.) Catbirds in five games, 4-1.
The "three-peat" followed in 1986-87 in Rapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota, and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek on which the city is established, it is set against the eastern slope of the Black Hills mountain range. The population was 67,956 as of the 2010 Census. Rapid...
, where the team had moved at the conclusion of the regular season. The Thrillers, who went 46-16 overall, lost the first game of the finals to the Rockford (Ill.) Lightning, before winning four consecutive games as Musselman won his third consecutive CBA championship. For his efforts, Musselman was honored as CBA Coach of the Year.
Among the players starring for Musselman's Thriller teams were Sidney Lowe, Clinton Wheeler, Rod Higgins, Freeman Williams, Sam Mitchell
Sam Mitchell (basketball)
Samuel "Sam" E. Mitchell, Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player and a former head coach in the National Basketball Association . He is currently an assistant coach with the New Jersey Nets....
, Ed Nealy, Steve Hayes, Brian Martin, Eddie Johnson, Don Collins, Ron Valentine, Perry Moss, Kevin Williams, and Charles Jones.
Albany Patroons (CBA)
On June 19, 1987, Musselman jumped to the Albany (NY) Patroons for the 1987-88 CBA season, guiding the Pats to a remarkable 48-6 record and his fourth consecutive league title. Albany's roster featured Tony Campbell, Michael Brooks, Sidney LoweSidney Lowe
Sidney Rochell Lowe is an American basketball coach and is currently an assistant coach with the Utah Jazz. He is a former NBA player and head coach, and has served as the head coach at North Carolina State University,.-Biography:Lowe began his career at DeMatha Catholic High School in...
, Michael Ray Richardson, Scott Roth, Reid Gettys, Tod Murphy, Eric Fernsten, Derrick Rowland, Scott Brooks, and Lowes Moore.
Musselman was named CBA Coach of the Year for the second time following the 1987-88 season.
Minnesota Timberwolves (NBA)
Following his success in the CBA, on August 23, 1988, Musselman was hired as the head coach of the expansion Minnesota TimberwolvesMinnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
. With a roster "full of vagabonds, long shots and characters," according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Musselman's T-wolves posted a 22-60 record in 1989-90, their first season, and 29-53 the following season. Musselman was fired on April 22, 1991, a day after the 1990-91 season ended. But the 29 wins under Musselman were a high-water mark for the T-wolves, who failed to top 29 wins until 1996-97.
Musselman's expansion team won more games than any of the four expansion teams and more in his second season (29) than any expansion team since the 1974-75 New Orleans Jazz.
In a March 29, 2007, Minneapolis Star-Tribune article by Steve Aschburner, Pooh Richardson
Pooh Richardson
Jerome "Pooh" Richardson is an American former National Basketball Association player. he was selected in the first round of the 1989 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves, their first draft pick in franchise history...
, a member of the expansion Timberwolves, said: "We were the best expansion team out there. That was as good as going to the playoffs. That's one thing that Musselman always gave us: a chance to win. Pass the ball, pass the ball, cut down the shots for the other team."
Rochester (Minn.) Renegade (CBA)
On July 22, 1993, Musselman returned to the CBA for the 1993-94 season, this time in an attempt to revive the Rochester Renegade, a struggling franchise that had gone 6-50 the previous season. Rochester finished 31-25 under Musselman, a 25-win improvement. Musselman's roster included Rodney Monroe, Ronnie Grandison, Clinton Wheeler, Dave Jamerson, Brook Steppe, Tod Murphy, and Ralph McPherson.The team folded following the season.
University of South Alabama (NCAA)
In March 1995, Musselman returned to the NCAA after a 25-year absence with the University of South AlabamaUniversity of South Alabama
The University of South Alabama is a public, doctoral-level university in Mobile, Alabama, USA. It was created by the Alabama Legislature in 1963, and replaced existing extension programs operated in Mobile by the University of Alabama. No other areas of the state were willing to support such a...
. In two seasons, he led the Jaguars to the 1997 NCAA tournament after turning the program around from a 9-18 record. Musselman's 1997 South Alabama team went 23-7 and nearly upset eventual champion University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. Musselman resigned as coach of the Jags on October 7, 1997, to return to the NBA. The team, Musselman recruited who remained at South Alabama the year after his departure, also advanced to the NCAA Tournament first round and lost to Illinois under then-head coach Bob Weltlich.
Portland Trail Blazers (NBA)
On October 8, 1997, after two successful seasons as head coach at the University of South Alabama, Musselman returned to the NBA as an assistant with the Portland Trail BlazersPortland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
, under Mike Dunleavy Sr. This marked the first time in his career that he served as an assistant coach. Musselman served as an assistant for three seasons with the Blazers before his death in May 2000.
Passion for the game
While coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Musselman, who the New York Times once described as "hot tempered," was criticized for his "disciplinary tactics," according to the Times. During his stint as coach of the ABA's Virginia Squires, Musselman "antagonized so-called problem players...and docile ones," according to a January 3, 1981, article in the New York Times. Musselman claimed "the only time I yell is before a game and at halftime," explaining that his passion helps players give "maximum effort every second."NBA coach Flip Saunders was quoted in the St. Paul Pioneer Press the day after Musselman died. Of Musselman, Saunders said, "In anything he did, he had great passion."
Sense of fairness
According to former CBA coach Charley Rosen, Musselman possessed an "admirable sense of fairness." In an ESPN.com article, Rosen describes a scene after a game between Rosen's CBA team and Musselman's Tampa Bay club:"We were involved in a tight game at Tampa Bay. Late in the fourth quarter, one of the refs called three charging fouls on my best player, Cedric Henderson, and the Thrillers eventually won on a buzzer-beating shot by the late "Fast" Eddie Jordan. Instead of celebrating his victory, Bill followed the refs off the court to their locker room, screaming that they had "screwed Charley out of the win." He continued to kick and pound his fists on the closed locker room door, raging for another 10 minutes. "If I can't win a game fairly, then I'd rather lose."
Describing Musselman's personality
In the newspaper articles and columns following his death, Musselman was described as "volatile," "colorful," "intense," and "fiery." Sidney Lowe, who played for Musselman in the CBA and NBA, said his former coach was "very demanding... but he was an excellent coach."In an Associated Press story that day after Musselman died, Greg Anthony, a guard for the Portland Trail Blazers, described Musselman as "a great, great man."
In a May 8, 2000, letter to the editor of The Minnesota Daily, the newspaper of the University of Minnesota, Dr. R. Galen Hanson wrote, "By far -- far and away -- the memories I will always have of coach Bill Musselman is that he is one of the most unforgettable people I have ever met: winner, writer, teacher, coach. Always."
Coaching Legacy
A number of Musselman's former assistant coaches and players went on to coach in the NBA, including Sidney LoweSidney Lowe
Sidney Rochell Lowe is an American basketball coach and is currently an assistant coach with the Utah Jazz. He is a former NBA player and head coach, and has served as the head coach at North Carolina State University,.-Biography:Lowe began his career at DeMatha Catholic High School in...
(Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
), Tyrone Corbin
Tyrone Corbin
Tyrone Kennedy Corbin is the head coach of the Utah Jazz in the National Basketball Association. He was installed as head coach on February 10, 2011 following the resignation of longtime coach Jerry Sloan....
(Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
), Tom Thibodeau
Tom Thibodeau
Tom Thibodeau is an American basketball coach who is currently the head coach of the Chicago Bulls. He previously served as an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics....
(Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
), Scott Brooks
Scott Brooks
Scott William Brooks is a retired American professional basketball player from Lathrop, California and is the current head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA...
(Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....
), Sam Mitchell
Sam Mitchell (basketball)
Samuel "Sam" E. Mitchell, Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player and a former head coach in the National Basketball Association . He is currently an assistant coach with the New Jersey Nets....
(Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
), and his son Eric Musselman
Eric Musselman
Eric P. Musselman is an American basketball coach and the former head coach of the NBA's Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors...
(Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
and Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
).
Other coaches who played for Musselman include Flip Saunders
Flip Saunders
Phillip "Flip" Saunders is an American basketball head coach of the Washington Wizards. He previously coached the Detroit Pistons and the Minnesota Timberwolves.-High school and college player:Saunders was born in Cincinnati, Ohio....
, Scott Roth
Scott roth
Scott Edward Roth is a retired American professional basketball player and an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors....
, Michael Ray Richardson, and Tod Murphy
Tod Murphy
Tod James Murphy is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 3rd round of the 1986 NBA Draft. A 6'9" center-forward from the University of California, Irvine, Murphy played in 5 NBA seasons for 4 different teams...
(Gordon College)
Death
Musselman suffered a stroke on October 30, 1999, following Portland's preseason game against the Phoenix SunsPhoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
. Musselman, who had served as head coach during the game after Mike Dunleavy
Mike Dunleavy, Sr.
Michael Joseph Dunleavy is a retired American professional basketball player, former head coach, and former general manager of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers. He is the father of Indiana Pacers player Mike Dunleavy, Jr.-Early life:...
was ejected, collapsed after leaving the arena.
In April 2000, he was diagnosed with primary systemic amyloidosis
Amyloidosis
In medicine, amyloidosis refers to a variety of conditions whereby the body produces "bad proteins", denoted as amyloid proteins, which are abnormally deposited in organs and/or tissues and cause harm. A protein is described as being amyloid if, due to an alteration in its secondary structure, it...
, a disease that produces an abnormal protein that collects in tissues and interferes with the function of organs. He died on May 5, 2000, at 2:45 a.m., at the age of 59, at the Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of...
in Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the...
. The cause of death was heart and kidney failure.
The Trail Blazers used Musselman as an inspiration for their 2000 playoff run, which ended in the Western Conference finals against the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. In the team's 2000-01 media guide, which was dedicated to Musselman, he was described as "a keen strategist and an inspiring motivator."
Family
Musselman has three children: Two sons and a daughter. His oldest son, Eric MusselmanEric Musselman
Eric P. Musselman is an American basketball coach and the former head coach of the NBA's Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors...
, is the former head coach of the Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
. They are the first father and son to hold the title of NBA head coach.